Can't Stand Your Smile
by maximuso
Summary: People will always surprise you, especially if you have a set of incorrect assumptions. Watch The Dork Knight and Snow Angel learn more than they thought they would, about each other, themselves, and the crazyness surrounding them both. Jaune/Weiss, featuring those two, but with many cameos. Part of my Correlation series.
1. Finding Ground

Correlation: Can't Stand Your Smile

Alternate Title: Erosion and Rubber Chickens.

Pre:Summary: I suck at summaries, so I'm just gonna throw up some BS. Basically, this is an attempt to write some interaction between Jaune and Weiss, mostly positive, Jaune/Weiss, plus others (not shippy), comedy/romance, slightest mature language, some older themes later on, maybe. Skip to the bold text, and ignore the A/Ns.

Summary: Weiss and Jaune have a rocky relationship, if you could call it that. But immediately, there was something between them. Something unrequited. Something Spectacular. Something Sensational.

Something sending Weiss nuts. And not in a good way. In a very, bad, way.

And, of course, it is all his fault.

This is my own version of the 'Melting Ice Queen', which evolved into something else, and then something else again. Arg, the momentum of ideas and crap.

These are some of the scenes that would take place if I was writing the show. And the series had more time that freakin' 3 minutes a week. More like meak. Or weak. Should have went with weak first. Anywho.

But I love Monty, and Miles, and Kerry, and the guys and gals of RT. I am not one of them. No credit to me, or monies, or... copywrite-ed things.

Just so you know, these start off unevenly, personal-power-wise, but that's for reasons. And, for the hell of it, let's start with something different from the norm.

Edit: Context Upgrade Purchased!

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**Finding Ground**

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_A letter under the pillow of Weiss Schnee._

'Dear Dwarf,

Today was good. Am most decidedly glad to have made the journey to Beacon. Starting to get less annoyed by many of the cretins here. Must be something in the water affecting my mind. Will test drinking water tomorrow.

I had a wonderful morning. The girls woke me gently for a change, which I appreciate more than they can know. My morning shower was uninterrupted, and I even practiced some of my Estedford pieces in the warm water. Even breakfast went smoothly, with Nora sadly too tired to recite her most recent figments of her imagination. Class was full of useful information, most of which I was unaware. The library was quiet. My work was completed. My study schedule was prepared, and colour-coded. I was able to read for pleasure. _For pleasure, damn it._

And when I returned to the dorm, I didn't have to coach Yang through homework, I didn't need to make coffee for Ruby, and Blake gave me a hug. I'm uncertain why she did so, but with Blake, I tread carefully, for previously stated reasons. But I'm glad our terms are good enough for whatever that was. She seemed almost sad while doing it, however. Was that a pity-hug? Did I look sad? I thought I was happy enough. Maybe it was that I was smiling? Perhaps I was-

The worst thing I could do right now is speculate. Which, I suppose, must bring us to the low-light of the day.

Jaune, leader of Team JNPR, womaniser, and executor of the worst saving catch in history, ever, is starting to be almost likable, for a t-r-o-u-b-l-e-s-o-m-e- d/e/g/e/n/a/r/a/t/e/ teenage boy with over- and under-confidence issues. Even writing this makes my skin crawl, as he has shown himself to be either chauvinistic or at least patronizing, but he seems to be equally incompetent as compassionate. And if you have had the opportunity to watch him fight, then, equally, he might be an inspirational figure to many here, -a-n-d-h-e-a-l-m-o-s-t-i-s-. Apparently, when he is not trying too hard to be what he thinks he is suppose to be (I believe he thinks he is 'macho', and thinks his flirting is not horrible), he is very personable. If only he would be less of an idiot.

He did have a laugh at me as we crossed paths on our way to the library. While crossing the Quad, over the bridge in the Humanities Garden, a sparrow perched on my shoulder. I wish they would stop doing that. I walked with it right up to the library. He was surprised, and then silent, which I took for comfortable, not amused. He really could have said something. Not to worry. The same bird decided to -d-e-f-e-c-a-t-e- leave a present for him from up high. On his shoulder. I've never believed in karma, but there you have it.

The walk was nice enough, though, and he didn't ruin my nice day.

Possibly more than simple commoner, hard to judge. Will require slight increase in attention. Will probably resolve itself, but my initial impressions of the characters that attend Beacon have been extremely poor, and judgement might need fine tuning.

I miss you more and more every day. I/f/ /o/n/l/y/ I'm sorry that my proximity to you made you a casualty. I promise, to your memory, that I will never put anyone in the position that my protection and their own safety are two competing positions.

Yours, with love,

Weiss Vinter Schnee.'

'Addendum; The worst has happened. Our History class has received an update from the Professor; he has assigned his own set of partners, looking for 'complementary skill sets'. For the assignment regarding the political treatise between the four Havens, I have been paired with Jaune Arc. Words cannot begin to describe my excitement. Woo. Hoo.

Might have woken Ruby with a Hiss (an aborted scream.)

No, she seems fine.

If he thinks he is just going to sit on his lazy ass and let me do all the heavy lifting, well, this blonde lunk-head has another thing coming.

Should probably talk to him about the workload before assuming to shout at him, though. Best to not count the chickens before they hatch. An idiom I'm sure he can relate to.

It is going to be a long week.'

* * *

It's early in the year at Beacon. A few weeks into the semester, and already the sounds of combat can be heard from outside the training hall. Just from listening, you can tell the sparring is intense, as the sharp sounds of metal-sparking-against-metal repeat constantly, punctuated by the staccato of weapons-fire. There is applause, the muffled voice of the current instructor through the large double-doors, a short pause, and the clash begins anew.

However, one such battle is short, with just a few scraping sounds before surrender is called. Not long after the next bout has begun, Jaune Arc, leader of Team JNPR, blonde bombshell, and all-round nice guy, pushes the doors apart. A brief glimpse could be caught of two young feminine fighters dancing closely about each other, clashing twice before the doors close.

Arc takes a deep breath, and knots his fingers behind his neck, closes his eyes, and leans back against the pillar just outside the room. Just as he is clearing his mind, the doors are flung open, slamming against the walls. Weiss Schnee, heiress, artist, and current ball of fury, passes through the doorway, and the doors daren't touch her as they bounce back. By the time they close, she has already started shouting, poking a finger into the chest-plate of the young man.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"It was nothing!"

"I know that you aren't the most _experienced_ combatant, but you didn't swing your sword once!"

"What was I suppose to do?"

"Fight me! I was coming at you with a very sharp, very real blade, what did you_ think_ is going to happen if you don't-"

"But I'm not allow to fight girls!"

"...What. The. **_F_**-"

"It's my dads' rule! You don't hit girls, ok? It's just... wrong! You just don't do it!"

"The next time we meet, you are going to pay me the respect I _deserve_, the respect I've earnt, and you are going to swing that useless piece of steel at me, because, Jaune, I am most certainly going to do the same for you."

"Yes, Weiss."

"And the next time you don't even try, when you forget out of your simple-mindedness to defend yourself? I will make sure to show you what I can REALLY do, you pathetic, little boy. Now. Get out of. My sight. Before I teach you a _lesson_. You won't soon forget."

"...See you in Grimm Biology?"

"..."

"S-see you, Weiss." 

* * *

Belle's Milkbar; an on-campus hang-out for many of the students, on first glance it appears to be a throwback to the older days of Barbershop Quartets, slick-back hair, and Gender Inequality. The curved seats of the booths, the dim lighting, and the smooth tunes all give the impression of a 'Jive Place To Hang'.

By the Milkbar itself are a set of deep red, backless stools. From behind, you can see our hero, Jaune, move his hands animatedly, and the girls he is expressing himself to, one whose outline shows bunny ears, and another whose are more akin to wolves, giggle. Their drinks arrive, and the two girls leave to sit in a booth.

Jaune leans, with his elbows, back against the bar, and watches them leave. He smiles. He turns back to the milk-barkeep, who is cleaning a cup. Jaune turns in surprise as Weiss starts talking to him. She had approached him quietly, and her high-heeled boots hadn't clicked as they normally would to announce her presence. She was sat next to him, where Velvet Scarlatina had just left.

He smiles.

"You are legitimately the most ineffectual, incorrigible flirt I have ever seen."

"You know what they say; 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then get a better Wingman.' "

"Wingman? Where is-"

"Fly solo, I do. Can't have someone watering down the Arcsperience."

"Oh, please do. The taste might actually become bearable."

"Not everyone can handle The Jaune, I understand. But I refuse to be less of a...a-"

"Irrational, idiotic, illogical, irresponsible, irksome... irate individual?"

"Don't think I didn't notice the 'I' thing. That was cute. You are _so smart,_ Mizz Schnee. I was just thinking that-"

"If you think that transparent attempt at flattery will get you anywhere, I take it back. You are the most incorrigible optimist that ever lived."

"Uh... Well, my Mojo is busted. Thanks, Weiss. Good to see you haven't melted any, Snow Angel."

"It's what I'm here for. I see it as my duty to keep people grounded. You were in danger of flying straight into a wall."

"So you shot me down?"

"I'm just keeping you realistic."

"Well, nothing shall drench my heart-flame! I will burn with a fiery passion, and all will bear witness to the-... hot... things. Coals of love? Embers of desire? Melting... melting hearts? Damn it. Help me out with a metaphor?"

"As I said. Hopelessly optimistic."

"Hey, I have to try, right?"

"Does your approach have to be so... unsavory?"

"It's the cordial of my flame! Never watered down! Banzai!"

"Oh, geez."

"...Ah, I was done here anyway. Wanna head back together?"

"You really think that-"

"This-is-not-a-pass! Just a friendly, co-habitual, live across the hall from you, walk home together thing. Nothing weird."

"...I suppose company would be...nice."

"Cool. So, Oobleck, right?"

"Y-yes?"

"Is it just me, or is he... a bit odd?"

"Really? Odd? I hadn't noticed."

"Are you serious? You just called me out for 'inconguitable-ity-ous-ness', and the guy with green hair, the conspiracy board, who zips around the class as if he was attempting to be everywhere at once, is normal?"

"I had a lot of tutors growing up, and most of them have more idiosyncrasies than Oobleck could dream of having. In fact, if any of the teachers here approached normalcy in anyway, I would be completely thrown."

"No, really? Aren't you suppose to be the realistic one here? Give me one example of a crazy teacher you had that could out-do Oobleck."

"When I first started training with Myrtenaster, I had a master-Swordsman who would use three swords at once; one in each hand."

"And the other sword? How did he hold it?"

"As I said, one in each hand."

"Oookay."

"Not as bad as my advanced teacher, who wielded one in his _teeth_-"

_Close By, at the booth where Velvet and her friend Sheila sit._

"Strewth! Hey Velvet, you know that boy that was crackin' onto us a few minutes ago?"

"Jaune? Hah, yeah, he's kinda funny."

"Really? Funny?"

"Don't take him too seriously. Flirting's not his strong suit. He's a dag, but he's actually a nice-"

"Well, he must have some game about 'im; he's leaving with the freakin' Princess!"

"No way, Weiss Schnee? Serious?"

"Bloody oath I am! Over there!"

"Well, stone the bloody Nevermore."

"COOIE, JAUN-IE-BOY!"

"What are you-"

"YOU BEWDIFUL BUGGER- YOU! GOOD ON YA, CHAMP! FUCKIN' RIPPER! TOTALLY BONZA, MATE-"

"Stop it! This is a milkbar, not a pub!"

"Ha, sorry, had to put it up 'em."

"Anyway, no-one understands us when we speak Occaran. They probably thought we were going to chase after them."

"Well, by the way they buggered off, that's not far from the truth."

"Dammit, Sheila."

:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:

The view of the seminal school for those who will one day battle the forces of dark, is two-sided. One the one hand, the Graduates are paragons of Humanity/Faunus Kind. Whether it is their strength, skill, intellect, or something unique to the individual defender of life, there is no debate; they are the best of the best of the best.

The other view is that of the School Itself; while the graduates are a thing of great regard, the students are seen as stupid, brash, uncultured brutes and children. The school is a mixing pot of violent individuals with deadly weaponry and harrowing physical and psychological challenges. It has one purpose, and one purpose only; to train young adults to kill.

But no-one who has been to their frequent student-arranged concerts can say that the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Beacon don't know their Performing Arts.

From Dance, to Music, to Comedy Routines (mostly just impersonations of the Faculty), to Acting, the youth always seemed to fill the stage for the full hour they had been allocated. The empty space of the Great Hall would be cut in half by black curtain, sound equipment and overhead floodlights. Bleachers from the oval would be transported and dragged in. A solidary spotlight would sweep back and forth excitedly from the seperate music and dance floors, awaiting the first act.

The first of the many shows this year starts tonight; right now, in fact. On the stage, beginning the show, is a young woman in a maroon, sleeveless, loose dress. She stands in First Position, facing away from the audience, attentive and rigid, the ribbons tied to her wrists flicking gently in the breeze from an unseen fan, tickling her ballet flats. Her red hair is taught, pulled back in a bun.

Her hand twitches, waiting for the music to begin, and a bead of sweat trickles down her face in the burning spotlight, now full focused on the lone girl. She takes a calming breath, and the music begins a second later. She stretches, turns...

Seated four rows back into the auditorium are the only two members of RWBY and JNPR not performing; Jaune, whose talent with any musical instrument matched his talent with a bra-clasp (untested, actually), and whose singing voice terrorised the shower rooms in the mornings. And Weiss Schnee, who swears she is never singing an Aria ever again. Too many bad associations. Even sitting this close to the stage gives her the sickly feeling of eyes watching her.

It is less than a minute in, and Weiss scoffs, mumbles something quietly. Jaune catches it.

"What are you talking about? She's an _amazing _dancer."

"To the uncultured, maybe, but look how rigid she is. Pyrrha has fallen into a habit of her combat training. See how she's not committing fully to those leaps? She's keeping herself ready to defend against an attack, but it doesn't match up to Romanovs' and Artemis's natural grace-"

"Weiss, stop talking and just watch."

"But-"

"Bup-bup-bup! No speaking. Enjoy the show."

"You clearly know nothing about-"

"Sure don't, but I'm seeing Pyrrha, my friend - someone who has great difficulty expressing herself - doing just that; _expressing herself._ Nicely. I think that's beautiful, don't you, Queenie?"

"...I'm just saying that-."

"Now is shush time, Ice Princess."

"_Fine,_ just stop with the names."

"Never, Snow Ang- _oof_!"

"Quiet."

"..."

"..."

They sat in silence. They both enjoyed the show.

Even Nora's impressive impersonation of Goodwitch, who sat directly behind Weiss.

* * *

These are in chronological order so far. This may change eventually, depending on what I want to do narratively. But, I've got a large portion sorted out, so we should be cool. Or I should be cool. Or not uncool.

Wow, the extent of how this fic has evolved over time. Originally, it was suppose to be a Nora fic, but I loved just a few key phrases, that I had to turn those phrases into phics, and those need more, and it kept on exploding, and I couldn't stop, and I'm considering making another fic for another spin off idea, but none of this has been posted at the time of writing. Hell, I might have posted all of this as one crazy ass fic by the time I've got my shit together. Who the hell knows.

All I know so far is that it is set in the one universe, which is no-longer canonical, with great deals of OOC moments and speculation where I can jam it in. And, seeing as it started as In Character as possible, with as much supporting evidence for stuff as possible, I kinda made a big fanfic-y mess. How the hell am I going to break this up into chapters? God damn.


	2. Growing To Fit

The Dork Knight Rises

Alt; Yang/Jimmy/Blake

Why do we fall, Master Arc?

Because an insane headmaster thought it would be funny if he shot us through the sky by use of an Aperture Science Aerial Faith Plate and dump us in a forest of doom and gloom and nightmares?

So, a few of you might have noticed the upgrade the previous chapter received. I'm going to blame it on the fact that I got too comfortable with writing one of my other fics in a similar style that I forgot to add the details to the context that was not necessary for the fully-fleshed out world of Bleach. RWBY, while awazing, has not had the same time to explore the characters, the environments, the totality that is the World of Vytal. Or Remnant. Yeah, it's Remnant. Just Wiki-ed it. And that is never wrong.

Not being as explored, we, the audience, are not totally in-sync with each other on how characters sound, the back-canon is still being expanded, and nothing feels solid. That is why I believe when I tried to tell an out of context, non-canonical, bare-bones, script-like story, it was a little... confusing.

It's not that I'm a lazy writer at all. Ahem.

Ah, man, I'm gonna have to actually put effort into writing this stuff, aren't I? Ah, dammit.

* * *

Growing To Fit

* * *

Weiss was exhausted.

The cool breeze through the trees of Beacons' courtyards was currently sustaining her, keeping her awake, and the water bottle she was sipping on drained the saliva from her mouth, and her breath had finally returned to her... but she was done.

Most of her hair was slick with sweat, as were her armpits and portions of her back and legs and face and feet, and her white track-suit was damp in a disconcerting, uncomfortable way. While her lungs were no longer burning for air, her legs were telling her they weren't moving for days, and she was stuck laying across the park bench. Her lips were dry, save the water that she had smartly prepared, but her mouth was slick with the surplus production of spit, and she kept having to swallow the build up that threatened to drown her.

It had been completely mindless, she supposed, to assume that she, with her little experience at long-distance running, could keep up with Yang, who was, apparently, in amazing shape. Yang, who had out-paced her two thirds of the way 'round the school. Yang, who had waited, stretching on the spot, as Weiss had opted out of the activity (See; collapsed to her knees, held back the contents of her stomach, and begged internally for the sweet release of death.)

_Stupid activity, jogging. Who willingly does this? Masochists. That's who._

She closed her eyes. The sun was low, and the sky above her was starting to darken. _Time to return to the dorm, soon. In my shame. I bet Ruby will have something to say about this. Let alone what Yang has waiting for me._ She opened her eyes. A few birds flew over-head. _Just a few more seconds rest. Can't possibly hurt._

She closed her eyes.

The breeze picked up for a moment, but barely managed to move her heavy, sweat-thickened hair. Neither was she wearing a skirt, so she had no worries about the wind causing troubles of any variety. He eyes remained closed. The rushing air, gushing down into the square, through the trees and the bulletin boards, calmed slowly, quietened. Her ears picked up on a tap coming from past the direction of her feet. Her eyes opened, and she sat up.

On the far side of the courtyard, where Yang had continued on through, after grudgingly letting her rest ('_What's the point of jogging if you're just going to nap?'_), Jaune Arc walked from one door to another, books under his arms. She could just make out one of the reference books they needed for Oobleck's assignment. _He must be writing up the chapter on Dust-Control on the Aegis Line. Was he actually listening when I was talking about events related to the-_

_He's seen me._ She let out a nasal sigh, let her head fall back to the bench, and closed her eyes. When she next opened them, Jaune had run over and was leaning over the top of the seat, towering over Weiss. Apparently her aura of 'Too-Tired-To-Converse-Politely' hadn't worked. She closed her eyes again, wishing him away.

"Heya, Weiss."

"Hmm?" This was all she could respond with. He lips had dried with saliva and were welded shut. She popped her mouth open, licked her lips, and sat up.

"So, Weissy. Weissy-woo. Snow Weissy."

"I swear, Jaune, I will break you."

"You wouldn't do anything harmful to me, would you, Snowy?" If she wasn't in the mood for his favourite game of nicknaming the Heiress, then she certainly wasn't in the mood for that smug, 'I'm too smooth for this breastplate' grin.

She told him such; "You have up to the count of three. Keep talking like an idiot, and I will make sure Pyrrha - who owes me a favour for the new mattress I had moved in for her - puts the beat-down on you extra hard in training tonight. One."

"Ahem." Jaune's smile left his lips, and he bounced off the seat. "Well." He stood there, behind her, awkwardly playing with his tie. She rolled her eyes, rolled her tired legs off the seat, and rolled her body up, her back to him. _Is he waiting for a written invitation?_ She patted the space on the bench next to her. He walked around and sat, placing his books nearly on her hand. _Dolt.._.

"I was just wondering, you know, in passing, as it were, if you might have, well, happened across important intel... for a friend, that is."  
"What could I know that you couldn't find out on your own, or would even amuse your simple mind?"

"Oh, it's nothing, really, kinda... plebeian, you might say. Um, if plebeian means, like, silly. Or unimportant. You could say I was wondering, FOR A FRIEND, I mean, pssh, like I even care, you know?"

"Two."

"Ok, I get it, I got it. Is... Blake... seeing anyone?"

"What does it matter that-" Her tired mind goes blank for a second as it latches onto his meaning, and he blushes at her stare. _Jaune... and my Teammate? No._

"..._(Deliberately)_ You know what? Yes, actually, I do recall she is. He is 7' 3'', is a total rebel, and has both anger and territory issues. Oh, and I hear he eats babies."

"Oh. That's unfortunate. For my friend, I mean. Yeah, he said she was kinda cute. Had this 'mysterious' thing going for her. Knows how to accessorize."  
"Go tell this 'friend' of yours to step off."

"Total ninja fangirl. Golden yellow eyes. Reads a lot of science fantasy."

"He probably doesn't even know her that well."

"Likes tuna. Alot. Oh, well. I'll just go and tell poor Jimmy. Pretty sure he'll be...*sigh* non-plussed. Poor, poor Jimmy."

"..." _That's right, Weiss, kick the puppy._

"He kinda was really hopeful and all that. I guess I'll just... go now, or something."

"...*Sigh* Jaune, tell Jimmy there's still hope for him. There's plenty of young ladies in the world, and even though this one is totally off limits-

"Completely off limits?"

"So very far off limits."

"Are we talking ambiguous road-sign off limits, or-"

"Military perimeter. With a chance of getting shot down, then exploded for good measure."

"Oh."

"And even though this nice, respectable young lady -_ on my team_ - is out of bounds, I'm sure there are lots of Jim-ettes out there."  
"Really, Weiss?!"

"Sure. Who knows? (_Who cares?_)"

"Hmm..."

"Aren't you going to tell Jimmy?"  
"Sure, sure, but first, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"We aren't done yet?"

"Well, I was just wondering, you know?"

"No."

"If, maybe you were aware, like, just in passing."

"_No._"

"Does Yang go for the tall, blonde, and lanky-type?"

"NO! And just how fast do you bounce-back, anyway?!"

"I'm an eternal optimist, remember, Weissy-babe. ;-] Just one of my many astounding qualities...Weiss? Hello? What are you-

Weiss was defeated, her head and arms hanging off the back of the seat. She was sooo tired, physically, and now she was mentally drained too. She let herself ragdoll down the seat and onto the ground, more gently than it looked. She didn't care about the roughness, the dirtiness, or the look of it. She closed her eyes.

"... aww, she's broken." Jaune let his eyes linger longer on her than he should have. Just a moment. That was it.

* * *

"Watch where you're going, lunk-head!"

"Um, Weiss, the window..."

"What?...Is that the report for Oobleck?"

"Yep."

"That we spent a week writing up? By hand?"

"Uh-huh."

"Fell into the water fountain? Completely drenched? Unsalvageable?"

"Yes, yeah, and most likely."

"..."

"..."

"You are so making this up to me."

"How do you take your coffee?"

"Two teaspoons coffee, one sugar, black. Large mug."

"Sure."

"7 am sharp. For the next month."

"Where do you keep your mugs?"

* * *

No-one was certain when it occured, but there came a point where no-one could actually hear Nora's dream stories. Her sometimes dramatic, sometimes musical, sometimes tense tone washed over the group in the mornings, and while it added a pleasant tone to their early morns, no-one actually listened to it anymore. Like morning radio.

Eventually, when her epic tales of dreamtime adventure and thrill came to a close, she would join in with a casual non-sequitor. While they waited, they ate, drank, chatted quietly, letting Nora have her moment. It was unanimously cute. Even Weiss, with her usual desire to not be interrupted during coffee time, had to agree.

She took a sip, and decided she could use more sugar.

Jaune was looking in her direction surreptitiously; once over the top of his milk, once while he was 'stirring' his Beonuggets, twice while checking his nails. She hadn't noticed, wrapped up in her daily newspaper, The Vytal Truth.

It was just as she was getting to finance that he put a question to her.

"Anything interesting in the 'paper today, Weiss?" She indulged him, not looking up.

"A two-point drop in Gold, Bill Jobs quit as CEO of Lexcorp, and, according to some experts, a new building project is going to make the cost of living rise, the expense of housing drop, and the travel to work for some lucky commuters twice as long."

"Uh... cool. Anything, actually...news-y?"

*Sigh* "The weather is going to be fine, with a chance of gale-force winds and lightning storms, an old man from Nantucket met, married, and murdered a woman from Timbucktoo in the span of a month... do you like trains?"

"Yes?"

"Well, this is a bad day for you."

"Oh. Ok. Don't mind me, I'm just going to curl up in the corner over here. For the rest of the week, in fact."

She glanced up and caught his face. Little coals in her stomach hopped. _Be nice_. _Wasn't that the plan?_

"...Well, what are you interested in?"

"I don't know. Interesting stuff."

"Like...?"

"Just pick something out." She was about to retort, but she caught a glance from Ruby. Their non-verbal communication was basic, but effective. Her look said 'Don't', so she didn't.

Instead, she scanned the headlines quickly, picking out something that had sparked her own curiosity. "...Ok, there's a dispute over the rights to farm lands on the edge of the Forever Fall forest. Apparently, this very old Faunus is claiming that the land is important to him, mostly because of a spiritual connection from their old ways. He claims ' a Faunus may find balance within their Aura by meditating at key points upon the land.' "

"That sounds... important. Well, to the Faunus, at least."

"If it's true."

"You can't just dismiss it out of hand, though; that's a persons beliefs, and maybe part of his culture."

"Yes, but the farmer has been working on the land for generations, turning the soil, plowing the fields... all the things farmers do. Farmer... stuff."

"Hold up, you're getting a bit technical for me."

"Hah, hah. What isn't funny is that the Faunus says that the rights to the land are his, and that the men and women living there are technically squatters." Ruby nudges her, and Weiss quickly dissects from the paper the comics, which Ruby passes to Yang, who sits there reading them with an expression of approval. Ruby starts the chess challenge on the back of the last page.

"Well, that's unfair; they put their blood, sweat and tears into that piece of Terra Firma, shouldn't they have at least a partial claim to it?"

"The Faunus Right goes back further, because they have evidence of their ancestors using this land for traditions and rituals."

"Why can't they both have a share? The farmers get the land, and the Faunus get the spiritual stuff?"

"Tension between humans and Faunus have been very high, as of late. I'm sure they are both looking over their shoulder for the lynch-mob today, let alone if they were to live together."

"That would make the worse sitcom ever. Or the most cliche-d, depending how you look at it." There is a small, unnoticed smile at that from Blake, who was always listening. She pulled out her own book from under the table. Weiss pushed through the comment.

"Cute, but you can't ignore the fact that-"

Jaune finished her sentence; "People are in danger, especially the winner of the court case."

She expands on the point; "Not only that, but the precedence any verdict sets is highly consequential to the geo-political world, let alone the effect it will have on groups like the White Fang."

"I figure either way, some group is going to take advantage of-"

The discussion continues, until Weiss's coffee is warm and Jaune's Beonuggets are cold and they had to find alternatives before class began.

* * *

"Were you born in a barn?"

"Yes, actually. And farming is a respectable, hard-working life!"

"I- I never said-...*Sigh* Sorry. But elbows off the table, all the same."

* * *

The Training Room. Empty. Devoid of action. Quiet.

Practice is over, and the electric, excited buzz the room usually contains is gone, the magic of the stage broken by the silent echo bouncing around the room.

There is a young man. He holds an ice-pack to his neck, drinks from a bottle of water as if it were the skull of his greatest enemy, and sits high on his throne, atop an empty locker. His contented, concussed grin is unmissable.

He drifts for a moment, back to his success. Well, his failure. But if defeat was this good, then who needs to win? _The look on her face..._

A voice brings him out of his reverie, calling his name, and he hops down, leaving the cold bag of lovely coldness behind. As he rights himself, Weiss Schnee stands in appraisal, arms crossed, eyes narrow. Lips tight.

Jaune braces himself, but can't stop smiling.

"Your Swordsmanship is sloppy, you plant yourself to the floor, your shield use is unimaginative, any offensive tactic you tried was straight-forward, and the only time I thought I was in any kind of danger was when you tripped at me."

"And?"

"... And... You tried hard, and have been... improving. In a way."

"*Sigh of Acceptance* Cool."

"But what were you thinking when you tried to follow me through that glyph?"

"I just, you know, thought it might have thrown you off your game. Made you think twice about using them, kept you grounded."

"I guess that might be considered pragmatic, until you get thrown across the room."

"My head still smarts a bit."

"And... a lesser person might call it... Brave."

"You know me, always impressing the ladies. Part of my natural charm."

"...So, for your tenacity, choice of tactics, and 'winning personality', I shall Knight thee."

"Wait, what?"

"Kneel, Mr Arc."

"I thought you were only an heiress-"

"Kneel."

"..."

*Tink. Tink.*

"Arise, Ser Jaune de Arc."

"Weiss, I-"

"Shush. For your Valor, Intellect, and Charm, I dub thee... *Snigger* The Dork Knight. Snk. Hmm!"

"...Very funny, Angel Drawers."

"Hahaha! Your Face! Ha haa, it was all, 'Oh, your Majesty'! Oh, my, the-"

"Keep this up, and I'll put salt in your coffee."

"Cheh. Just a...moment. Tmm! I'm sorry, Hn, I just can't, haha, you are just soooo-"

"That's it. No more Mr Nice Clown."

"No-ho-hooo, don't-"

"Keep this up, and you're getting doused. I will sacrifice my re-hydration for this."

"Sorry, sorry, I just... Ok, I'm fine. I'm good. Hee."

"...ok then. See you in Bio."

"Hey, Jaune."

"What?"

"You seem slightly distressed. Are you angry, Jaune? Did my actions cause you to be upset with me? *Smiles* Are you mad?"

"..."

"You mad, Brother Jaune? You ma_aaaaah_!"

"I'm throwing you in the nearest fountain, so you can cool off."

"You wouldn't _dare_! Put me down right-!"

* * *

And it's times like this that I remember why I called it 'Can't Stand Your Smile'.

Might upload non-subtextualised chap three, then update it, say, the next day.

Oo, idea~! Add next chapter at the same time as I update last chapter! Cannot go wrong!

Because of this, have the next chapter now! Hoo-hah!


	3. Expose-ition

Full of Surprises

The Edit Is Here. Have A Taco. Dramatic Voice. Echo. Echo. Echo.

Does anyone else have a problem with the line breaks and things when uploading docs?

* * *

No Coffee Burns

* * *

For all intents and purposes, the day was now over.

The hallways of Beacon Academy were eerily quiet. Classes were over. Diner was done. The dorms were filled with the absence of sound that study and end of term tests caused. There was a certain peace, tranquility and calm that even the wind daren't disturb.

And Jaune Arc was sick of silence.

His shoes barely squeaked as he make his way out of the library. Not a soul did he see as he walked through an adjoining passage. Even outside, there were no birds singing, no flies to swat away, not an ant to step on, no couples making out amongst the trees. The breeze was so still, a leaf simply fell straight down in front of him, with no horizontal vectors at all.

He was finding that, in the silence, all his senses were so much sharper; the weight of the books in his hands grew greater as he stepped into the dorms entrance. The tie around his neck, actually rather loose, was like a hang-mans' noose, lying gently on his shoulders. He ran his fingers through his hair, and found a knot. It hurt more to separate it than it would have if his attention wasn't so highly tuned to the moment. There was a rock in the sole of his shoe that felt like a jagged boulder of pain.

And all the while, he was enveloped in solitude. He hadn't seen a single person in at least an hour; the library had been empty, and the Librarian absent. The effect of it all was frightening, and his nerves began to fray. Never before in his life had he felt so alone.

_Where the heck is everybody? Was there a fire? An assembly I'm missing?... Did I die, and instead of moving on, stayed exactly where I was? Is this limbo?_

It was as he was thinking this, entering the floor of the dorms that his Team call home, he heard something. A series of somethings.

*Clang*

This was followed by a short crash, and a noise that sounded like something being crunched and ground up, sounds were a horrifying saviour, for as they confirmed the presence of others in his spirit world, they made his imagination run wild with the input.

_What the hell is that? A mechanical Grimm? An engineering nightmare? The percussion section of a Brass Band?_

Of course, he didn't expect any of these to be what he found as he followed the sound, tracing it to the shared kitchen...

V\V\V\V\V\V\V\V\V\

Weiss gave the machine one last thump, and gave it her greatest glare. She had been waiting an hour, and the infernal device had yet to produce a single drop of caffeinated beverage. There was, however, a sort of grinding coming from where she had stuffed the coffee beans, so something must be working.

She, of course, had never used a cappuccino maker in her life. She hadn't needed to. Now, however, she wanted to provide a special pick-me-up for her friends, and even though she had no experience with the machine, she had found experimentation had always been effective in the past.

And, as always, asking for help in something so trivial was way out of the question.

"What are you doing?" She spun.

"Nothing! I was only- Oh, it's you." Jaune strode through the doorway, making his way lazily over to her side.

"Good to see you too, Princess."

"You realise I don't actually have a title, right?"

"Does acting entitled count for-" Mid-sentence, he saw the ancient coffee machine she was stationed in front of; he noticed the nozzle that shot out the drink was turned about at a funny angle to the machine. "No, see, you're gonna hurt yourself doing it that way-"

She cut him off, her arms crossed. "Please, Jaune, I might have had trained baristas to do this for me before I arrived here, but it's _making coffee_. It's not weapon-engineering."

"That's cute, Weiss, but have you ever used a coffee machi- that valve there, you just have to tighten-"

She cut him off again, her glare turned fully on him, now. "_Cute?_ I will thank you not to talk down to me like I am just a silly air-head, you blaggard!"

"Sure, ok, but you really need to-"

She cut him off a third time, with a feminine snort. "I need to do _nothing_. I am a Schnee, and a Schnee decides whether they are to be ridiculed, and since the sky hasn't fallen, and the world appears to still be spinning on it's axis, then I think **not**."

He shrugged. "It can't be helped, then."

She rolled her eyes. "What, Jaune, what can't be helped?"

The coffee machine whirred to life, and before she could move, the nozzle, turned about to face her, began squirting a dense mist at her top half. She ineffectively tried to cover the spray with her hands, and squealed.

"Eeeeeeaaaaaaah!"

Jaune's eyes go wide. "Oh, crap, you switched the-"

"Turn it off, turn it-"

He pulls a plug from the back, and the nozzle quickly slows to a drip. "There! Got it." The damage has been done, though; Weiss is soaked through and through.

"My skirt, my jacket, my hair! _My hair!"_

"Hold up, I'll grab a towel, or something." He dashes off on a quest of mighty proportions. Always wanted to write that.

"Go, hurry, please!"

Weiss, drenched and cold, enters into self-arraignment. _It was a coffee machine, what the hell went wrong? What is wrong with you, you ditz? A child could use one of these, what the hell?_ Her anger and self-loathing take their toll, and she is at the verge of tears, sitting on the kitchen bench, when Jaune comes back.

"Here, try this." He strides over, with a blue, fluffy towel in his hands. He unfolds it for her, maybe offering to drape it over her, and she spots a small rabbit insignia and a name, stitched into the corner.

"Eww, this is _yours-"_

_"_I'm not stealing someones' towel-"

"Ok, whatever..."

Reluctantly, she pulls it around her shoulders. Jaune turns and sits on the table next to her, for the sake of it. After a moment, she hugs her knees into her chest, wrapping her legs.

They sat in awkward silence for a while, which Jaune delighted in; it beat the solitude he had previously enjoyed on his walk back. He breathed a sigh as the excitement wore off, and gave the girl a once over, as she rubbed away the water.

Weiss was pleasantly surprised at the state of the towel; not as horrible and smelly as she had believed a boys possession to be. She had also noticed that, upon taking it, it had been slightly damp, and she found herself imagining the places it had been used to dry previously. That was why her eyes were turned downward, away from Jaune.

He, however, was thinking of something else. Most people, after their first fight with a coffee machine, have a completely different reaction than what Weiss was having. He decided to press his question to her, so he made his intent clear, in an eloquent fashion.

"...Um." She looks up, and traces his line of sight. _Oh, really, Arc?_

"Yes, I get it, my shirt is transparent now, you brute, but if you think you can just wantonly-"

"Wh-what?! No! I was looking for... Are you hurt, or anything?"

"It's just water, what do you think, I'll melt?"

"No, but... you're not burnt?"

"It's just _water_, Jaune, _water, _H2-O, it's-" There is a brief moment of shared realisation. Their reactions are rather polar. "Oh."

"Pffffft, hahaha! After all of that-"

"It's not funny..."

" 'I'm a proud, independent Schnee, who don't need no barristers!' "

"I wasn't that rude, I was just-"

"-not even _boiling_, I don't even-"

"-is it cold in here or is it just because-"

"-just how long were you waiting for the- haha, the water? The cold, cold-"

"-can't have been that long, the sun hasn't even set yet-"

"I just - _hee hee - _need to - *gasp* - sit down for a-"

"-end of chivalry, indeed."

She stands to leave, covering her gasping companions head with the towel. She folds her arms, and stomps her way towards the corridor. At the doorframe, she peaks around, not expecting to see anyone; the last few days have been extremely quiet at this time. And, of course, there was a young couple making out in the hallway.

_Of course. Any other time of day, and I would have a clear shot to my room. Great. Just my luck._

Deciding her hands were insufficient coverage, she walks back to Jaune, now with his shoe-less feet on the table, his hands massaging his aching abdominal muscles, and his face still hidden by the towel.

She pulls the blue material by where she imagines his hair, and he leans forward to let it slide out from under him. As it comes off, and she wraps it around herself again, she looks at the boy; eyes closed, but still smiling. She grumbled under her breath something about loathing, and at that moment, they both thought exactly the same thing, but with completely differing feelings.

_Just wait until my Team hears about this!_

* * *

(A/N: I hate Macs now. Not for any great reason, just that when our desktop decided to freeze, the only thing I could do is restart it, and the 'autosave' feature didn't work, and the Time Machine thing didn't have any autosave files where they should be, and I have no clue if that excellent first draft still exists somewhere. All I do know is that I've lost it, and this second draft is a pretty crappy shadow in the light of the first. Damn it damn it damn it.

Saving now, again and again. 'Allow the paranoia to consume you, young 'muso.')

* * *

The Devil Wears Briefs

* * *

Jaune's stomach growled hungrily. _Lunch._ That was the trick. The bell rang. The time was right. _Lunch!_ He made for the door of the lecture hall, and a sharp pain hit him from his stomach. _Lunch now!_

In the mess hall, in the buffet line that distributed the food, he snacked on fries, nuggets, and pasta, temporarily sating the beast within him, calling for meat. He loaded up, a pile of beef, chicken, breadsticks, mash potato, sausage, a snack pie, and the thinnest slice of lettuce, for colour. The beast hungered at the sight, but it waited patiently. He had trained the beast well.

He turned at the end of the line, and just a table away from him, at the edge of the hall, sat team RWBY, who noticed his gaze, and giggled. The beast whimpered, knowing that hunger always took a backseat to ego.

He walked over to the ladies, approaching Blake and Weiss from behind, as Ruby and Yang watched him approach. He caught the last words Weiss was saying as she turned to address him.

"-speak of the devil, and he shall appear."

"What are you ladies giggling about?"

"Oh, nothing The Dork Knight should concern himself with."

"So the fact you were pointing over here a minute ago was..."

"Common Coincidence."

"Is that so? Well, I guess it can't be helped. The ladies do love me. It's the sword."

"I think 'the ladies' are more impressed by your confidence, than your 'weaponry'."

"Why thank you, Snow Angel, for noticing the new, no-holds-bared, take no prisoners, super confident Jaune."

"Oh, sorry? You said something? I was distracted by the fluorescent green underpants that some _idiot_ is displaying to the cafeteria."  
"Ha, where is the dude with the-" _Her smile._"-wait." _Oh, no._

"And the thought has finally clicked into place."

"My jeans are unzipped, aren't they?."

"Feeling a bit vulnerable, all of a sudden?"

"Stop looking at me like that. I'm just going to turn around towards the wall for a second. For reasons."

"You do that, Team RWBY will cover- girls?" She had turned to her team, but they were no longer there. Weiss was the only one still eating, as she enjoyed taking her time, compared to her roommates, atleast. The lack of girl-power to back her up left her with Jaune alone._ Damn them..._

"They left about a minute ago."

"...hate..."

"Who's feeling *zip* vulnerable now?" He asks over his shoulder, as he adjusts his pants. He turns, and Weiss has to consciously stop herself from looking at the zip, just to check. Instead, she closes her eyes and turns back to her food.

"Just sit, would you? I'm sure as hell not sitting alone."

He pulls up a seat next to her, and through force of willpower, he manages to eat slowly. They sit in awkward silence, almost a habit of theirs now. Jaune breaks the silence as he pushes his plate away, done with it, and wipes his mouth with his handkerchief. The beast still had his eyes open, though, and it spotted dessert.

"...You going to eat that?"

Her eyes go sharp, and her tone matches. "Touch the pudding and die, flasher."

"Okay, okay!" _Alright, different line of conversation._ "So, how was Dust Mechanics 105?"

She sighs, poking at her pudding with a fork absentmindedly. "I'm _still_ revising things I've learnt before I got here, but at least it's more current. I don't think I could handle 'Revisiting Ice Creation In An Enclosed Environment' again. Ugh."

"Have you tried writing your own dissertations on this stuff?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, whenever I find myself sitting in class with nothing to do- and wide awake- I just run with a thought. By the end of it, if I'm still awake, I've normally come up with a new, more efficient way to, say, cook Lobster Tail, Topped with Bluevine, with just a hint of lem- I mean, kill... things. And... stabby stuff. Yes. Manly." _Smooth_.

"I _have_ been meaning to give an analysis of follow up Dust bombardment to fire-resistant objects..."

"Where were you attacking-"

She waves him to stop. "Long story short, assignment from Ozpin without all the details, had some interesting effects, especially if the dust doesn't ignite on impact, and you coat a bone-structure with different dust hues and send a current through it to-"

"Screw lunch, I'm taking you to the science labs; I gotta see this for myself!"

"Jaune, what are you- Let go of me right this- the _pudding_-"

He leads he out the door by her hand, even as she ineffectually reaches for her treat.

* * *

Sway With Me

* * *

Unce Unce Unce Unce

Lasers spin. Strobes flash. A spotlight winds it's way around a crowd, illuminating, for a second, a young man and woman, facing each other, moving and dancing in a sea of movement and dance. Those who have great observational powers will also note that in the sea are yet more familiar faces, those belonging to unforgettable students of Beacon.

Or, it might not seem hard to notice these exceptions. These are the only characters that are not black shadows.

The young lady sways, moves gently, more reserved than her Team, especially the girl with the long blonde locks, who 'boogies down like it was the Year of the Dragon'.

The white haired girl breaks into a smile, at her partner, also smiling, who is, well...

"You are a _terrible_ dancer, Dork Knight."

"Hey, I was trained by the best, Snow Angel. This is what they call 'Crumping'."

"It looks more like a medical condition. Really, you should just concede, and let us ladies show you how it's done."

"Babe," Her eye twitches, "you are sadly mistaken if you think any of us will just roll over so that your silly girls will win the first annual Juniper/Ruby Dance-Off."

"Oh, thems' be, if I am not mistaken, 'fightin' words'."

"Bring it on, Weissy-Woo."

"Just remember, you asked for it." She looks over to the DJ and raises a hand. He spots it, and switches track, mid-song. There is an abrupt musical shift in tone and pace, from techno-house-remix, to the style of Big Band Jazz.

"What the-"

A smooth, silky, female voice breaks into the night. ~When, Marimba rhythm starts to play, stay with me, sway with me...~

"You bribed the DJ."

"All's fair in love and war, as they say. Oh, the girls were working on something, so we thought we might just show off. Ladies?" Team Ruby comes together in the probable centre of the room. The floor shifts away from the only people who seem to know what they are doing, and the four split into twos; RW and BY. They take each others' hands, and begin a simple ballroom-style tango.

"Oh, my." Jaune expresses his surprise, as the girls dance rather intimately. He spots his own team, and knows from their expressions that they have nothing to counter this ambush. The night is lost. _Unless..._

"~I can hear the sound of Violins, long befooore, it begiiins, make me sway as only you know h~"

And suddenly, Jaune is in the middle of it all, alongside Ruby and Weiss; "Mind if I cut in?"

Ruby, perplexed, responds on reflex; she had seen a few old movies, and it's clear that when someone asks for a dance, the only thing possible is to let it play out. "Not at all?"

Jaune bows to the two girls. "Thank you, my dear." He addresses the Heiress. "Shall we?" He steps close to Weiss, adjusts his posture, and offers a hand to her. Now that Ruby has stepped back, and with the whole room watching, she feels obliged to take it.

"Jaune, what are you-whoo!" He pulls their hands over her head, she spins, and, with a graceful step, he pulls it down behind her, making her fall into his waiting arm, while the other grabs her outside knee, pulling it up his side. For a moment, she thinks he has three arms. He doesn't, but the illusion is astounding. She finds her hands on his shoulders.

As he brings her back up, he says, "Did I not mention about the classical ballroom training?" A hand finds the small of her back, and the other pulls her arm to the side, keeping her in an intimate proximity. They move. "One, two-and-three, four and _dip_-"

~Other dancers may be on the floor~

~Dear, but my eyes will see only you~

~Only you have that magic technique~

~When we sway I go weak~

...

...

...

...

~Perhaps, Perhaps, Per-

_Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest~_

_..._

The spectacle that held the room in disbelief is now over. The partners had split up, taken a bow, and the crowd engulfed them in cheers and then bodies. Weiss saw her temporary dance partner head for the side of the room, and decided to follow him. She was still feeling just a touch giddy from the spinning.

She reaches the young man's back, and a few people move between them. She starts speaking to the leader through them. "That was...amazing. Jaune? Where did you... oh." When he returns to her vision, he is leaning against the wall, mouth partially open, chest expanding and compressing rapidly.

*Pant* "I might be *Pant* a touch out of *Pant* practice, maybe."

She smirks at the tired boy. Teasingly, she explains; "Well, that will do, Prince Charming. Your courageous charge broke our ranks, and everyone was just watching us. I think it may have won you the dance."

He waves a hand lazily at the white-clad lady. "You just *Pant* wait until Nora *Pant* gets the conga line *Pant* going. oOoOoh, my back." Weiss rolls her eyes.

"That last lift was inspired, I must say."

"Guess so. Only the good lifts hurt so much. *Groans* You are better at being led about than I though you would be, though. Don't you have control issues or something?"

Her patronizing tone shines through. "No speaking. Only rest, my blonde ballerina."

"Technically... I'm a... Huntsman." His head falls forward, and he grabs his haunches. Weiss smiles, unscrews the lid of her water bottle, and pats his back, gingerly.

"Sure you are, Jaune of Arc. Sure you are."

She splashes his head with the cool liquid, and a wave of relief spreads downwards, through to his tired limbs.

* * *

False Starting

* * *

-A Week Earlier-

It is a week before the almost nightly Techno Beatz Night down in Vale, and Oobleck has just let his students leave his lecture hall. After an hour of history (two hours of content, with the Professors' pace), Weiss was looking forward to a short nap before having to return to her studies.

What she didn't count on was a hand being placed inside her own, just as they were through the second archway. She turned and let her hand stay with her partner. She and Ruby were closer now (weird still for Weiss), and the girl seemed to be fixated on touch with her more intimate friends. Weiss was still getting used to it, but she could see it becoming endearing.

There was a nervous smile as Ruby greeted her friend; "Heya, Weiss, can I talk to you for a second?" Her hand tightened for a second.

"Actually, I was just thinking of talking to you." This time, Ruby's grip increased substantially.

"O-oh, you were?"

Weiss began to pull Ruby over to a secluded area of an nearby quadrangle. "Yes, but it has to be in private. Pyrrha has very sharp hearing." She whispered the last part, and Ruby checked over her should to make sure no-one was following them.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

They had arrived and surveilled the area for any surrounding activity. Their touch was ended at their arrival, and Ruby was rubbing her hands with the prospect of what she was about to ask her partner. Weiss was tapping her feet, watching the clouds.

"So, partner, yes, my partner, um... well, there's this thing, living under my bed, and, um, she's-"

Weiss lowered her gaze, focusing on Ruby's expression. "Sorry, bit distracted, I'm going over the routine for next week in my head. What was that?"

The brunette stuttered. "No, um, it's ok. I was- you go first. Let me get my ducks in a row and everything... Think things into their proper order. Sorry, I haven't been sleeping well lately, with the-"

"Dance with me?"

"Waitwhatnow?" Ruby's breath caught, and Weiss went on to explain, including hand gestures to illustrate her points.

"You've seen Yang and I at rehearsals. We step on each other; we both try to lead; we come from different schools of musical taste; when we figure out where her hands should go, I'm sure she's slides them down on purpose, groping my-" She doesn't complete this sentence, but the groping gesture comes through by momentum.

"H-hey, I'm absolutely sure she's doing that as a joke. Anyway, this is an excellent team building opportuni-thingy; getting to know the rhythms of our team. Their movement patterns. Weight classes. She's actually more muscle than she looks."

"It's not the muscles I have a prob-...Er."

"What?"

"Ok, so, I'm a little uncomfortable around her, or when we're dancing so close. It's... she has a totally different centre of gravity."

"I don't-" Weiss tugs her necklace downwards, subtly pointing. "Ooooh."

Weiss continues, flustered a touch. "And... they are very eye-catching. And dynamic. In comparison... it makes one seem insignificant."

"Join the club." The sarcasm isn't especially appreciated by the white haired girl.

"Can we just say I'm uncomfortable, and move on?"

The red-hooded girl thinks quickly. "Ok, ok, um, Yang can dance with Blake, and I'll dance with you. I-is that alright?"

Weiss takes her friends hand, one of the first times she has initiated the contact. "Thank you, Ruby. You are the best partner I could ask for, you know that?"

Ruby smiles, blushing a touch at the compliment. "It's nothing. I mean, I've had to live with 'Yang hugs', and if they don't make a girl feel somewhat lacking, I'm not sure what will."

Weiss raises an eyebrow. "I didn't figure you were old enough to understand the inadequacies, yet."

Ruby's free hand rubs the back of her head. "I-it's nothing, it's just, when you want the attention of someone-"

"Oh, really?"

"Uh, it's sort of... connected to why I wanted us... alone together. Privately."

It takes Weiss a second to understand what her Leader is saying, and when she does, she drops her hand gently and turns away. She was not prepared for this. "I see. I'm sorry, Ruby. I don't know what to say." She turns her back to the wall, and gives Ruby a small, nervous, smile. "I'm a little embarrassed, actually."

Ruby pushes through her feelings, tremendous as they are, and soldiers on. "Oh. I-it's ok, I don't know what I was thinking, really-"

Weiss halts her with a raised palm. "No, no, it's fine, I completely understand."

Ruby hesitates. "You do?"

"I would do the same thing in your position."

She rubs the back of her head again, feeling less sickly. "So, um, I haven't offended you, or... anything?"

Weiss steps over from the wall, and a small smile graces her lips. "No, far from. In fact, knowing this, the dance coming up just gets more interesting."

"I, um, know it does... are you... interested, then?"

"What, in Jaune? No! Hell, if I'd known you liked him, I'd be steering right clear of him!"

"You...what?"

"It's the bra code. Hasn't Yang told you? The Bra Code!"

"I'm lost."

"It's a series of rules girls interacting around each other have to obey if they wish to coexist peacefully. One such rule; if a girlfriend is interested in a guy, all the girls have to back off around him, let her take centre stage, as it were. Seeing as I've been dominating his attentions, with the assignment from Oobleck, sitting with him at the Concerts, and the miscellany encounters we've had, I guess it might make one a little jealous."

"Oh. I see."

"I'm sorry I didn't notice. I've just been so busy with that paper from Port, the exams we had, and, well, I guess I've noticed you glaring our way, but I didn't think that... Aww, Poor Riding Hood, you haven't been sleeping well, have you? Is it because of the butterflies, thinking of tall, blonde and scrappy?"

"Well... I haven't been sleeping well, I guess."

"Hey, we've all had a first crush. It must be so hard for you, with him sleeping across the hall and everything. Don't think I haven't noticed you putting on a bit of extra blush in the mornings."

"Y-you did?"

"Anything to impress the man across the way, right? Now, you've told Yang?"

"Y-yeah, she knows about... my crush."

"Ok, well, take whatever advice she gave you, and throw it away. You are about to be Master-classed in the Schnee School of Romantic Etiquette."

"Weiss, I'm not... I don't think I have time for-"

"Rule One: Always present the best of yourself to your potential love interest; that means not only looking the part of eligible bachelorette, but also seeming interesting, smart, and personable. It also means you can't abuse winking. In small doses, it's a nice gesture of interest, or a signal that there is an inside joke between the two of you, but the way Yang uses her eye-lids as blunt instruments is not fetching, and is actually quite off-putting."

"Well, I think it's funny when-"

"Not the way she winks at Blake and I, the way she flutters her lashes at boys."

"Oh. Ok, point taken. You find it off-putting."

"And to capture interest, you have to keep your encounters short and punchy. That is, you have to grab his attention - a few intelligent, kind words, a simple touch somewhere around the shoulders - then leave. After that, he will actively seek your attention. Objective achieved."

"Right. So, they are trying to spend time with me, what next?"

"This part is tricky: you have to maintain an air of mystery, to keep his attention; you have to feed him details about yourself to make him feel like he is getting to know you; you have to be witty, entertaining, and a touch sensual, to make your time together feel worthwhile; and you have to be engaging with the things he says, get to know him, and react to everything he says, to make him feel appreciated."

"Like laughing at everything they-"

"No! Laugh when it's funny, but if you laugh at things you don't find amusing, then you run the risk of making them feel... dim, or clown-like. Or you encourage them to say things that bore you. And it's crude and cheap."

"Got it. No points for lack of style. What else?"

The chatter continues for a short while, upon which Weiss drags Ruby to Belle's, where they would find at least one member of Team Juniper.

* * *

From the booth she sat at, Weiss had the perfect view of events. For the sake of conversation, she still feigned ignorance, however, when Jaune, confused as to what just happened, walked over to the partner of the cloak-wearer. He slid into the seat, unceremoniously, not even asking for permission. "That was weird."

Weiss was unaware of the mischievous look on her own face. "What was?"

"Ruby just came up to me, complemented my 'mannerisms' as fetching, and felt my breast-plate." He patted his armour for effect, making a hollow, tinny sound.

"Yeah. Saw the whole thing. She can be so cute sometimes." The carefree nature Weiss had adopted was something else for Jaune to note.

"Uh, I suppose? Is she... ok?"

"Ah, the joys of girl-hood."

"I'll trust you on that."

"Ah, to be young and in love."

"Sure thing, grandma. So, when will your white hair be turning grey?"

_"Ah, to have a crush on a certain clueless Blonde Boy."_

That one struck home. "Oh. Um, ok." For a moment, he appeared cool with it, just as Yang had predicted. He was, after all, the Lady-Killer of Beacon. She hadn't predicted the freak-out. "_Oh god what do I do?!"_

"What?"

Jaune's panic was emphasized by his movements; first, he threw his arms up in the air. "I don't know what to do with..." Then he turned his palms towards Weiss, a 'hands-off' type move, "Affections! And if I do something wrong," He ran his fingers through his hair, "Yang'll kill me," And gave the table a Glasgow Kiss, "and-"

Weiss found the outburst humourous, but had the decency to end it. It was in a very public place, after all. "Don't worry. These things usually just blow over. She's going to do something that embarrasses herself, and you won't have to worry about anything silly like that anymore. Just don't make a huge deal of it, ok? You'll laugh about it later."

While she spoke, the blonde's head rose from the table, and he looked as if he accepted what Weiss was saying. "Ok, cool, sure. Thanks, Weiss. Seen a lot of this?"

Weiss shrugged. "No, not really. I have not clue one of what I'm talking about, but Blake assures me everything will be fine." And it was her smile, as mischievous as it was gleeful, that told him she didn't really care; any-which-way it went, Weiss would be watching, and enjoying herself immensely.

* * *

_Current Time._

_Tucked into the underside of the mattress of Ruby Rose, from the hand of Weiss Schnee._

Dear Dwarf,

Saw Penny today. Of course she appeared out of nowhere and I leapt out of my skin, but I think I pulled myself together quickly. Attempted polite conversation. Was difficult. Girl has a fixation on my hair.

I sometimes wonder where she comes from, and where she goes when she is not frightening the Jiminy Cricket out of me. Speculate she was home-schooled, in the least, and has had some kind of body-modification. By my own teams' reports, she pulled a Bullhead out of the sky, but she walks like a damn cat.

She also appears impervious to sarcasm.

Also had an odd conversation with Yang. Something about her sister not being good at baseball. Is it possible to score for the opponents team? Is she a bad pitcher? I remember something about a 'walk', but her aim cannot be so bad as to strike the batters. Would do some research into this baseball thing, but I find myself not caring.

An idea was presented to me the other day, from Jaune Arc no less; that I use some of my free time to develop theories I've come across. It wasn't put exactly that way, but it might be just what I need for my test, now that I can't

But I'm done stressing about the future for now.

Speaking of surprises from Mr Arc (The Dorkish Knight), I was swept off my feet on Disco Night (the one that replaced the monthly show), when he stole our spotlight moment. Well, he stole the spotlight from Ruby and shared it with me. It was oddly easy to follow the suggestions from his wrists, and we moved across the floor, tangoing until his legs almost collapsed beneath him.

I'm tempted to write 'we only had one song', but I'm not sure that gives off the right impression. -B-u-t-I-c-o-u-l-d-h-a-v-e-d-a-n-c-e-d-a-l-l-n-i-g-h-t-

It was -c-a-p-t-i-v-a-t-i-n-g- /d/e/l/i/g/h/t/f/u/l/ =i=n=t=r=i=g=u=i=n=g= interesting.

If I were here to dance, though, I might admit it was the most fun I've had in weeks. But I am here to become a fully-fledged Huntress. I am here not to indulge in trivial sport and games. I have a mission.

I have to not recreate you. Not in any way, shape or form. Never again.

With Love,

Your Ms Schnee.

P.S. Next time, might attempt to join in on the Conga Line, if I can get on the very end. I won't have some strange old man tou

Changed my mind, possibility of touching something I don't want to touch or have touch me is too great. Will just have to settle on something else.

_Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps..._

* * *

Author Note of Great Destiny

**The long of it: **Having mixed feelings on the format. On the one hand, I have a more determined writing style, that is more... well, more. On the other hand, the 'fixes' are turning my stories into things they never were, and sometimes interfere with the flow and bounce they had before (which caused confusion and headaches in the original uploads).

In the end, I have two sets of story universes, and while I'm usually ok with running with multiple mindsets in my writing, it's the uncanny valley aspect of it all, where the two continuities are so similar that the one that followed the other is so close and yet so far from the original that things don't make the right kinds of sense and I'm giving things away that I didn't want to give away and this was supposed to be fun but now I'm feeling schitzophrenic again and there are more voices in my head than ever before, twice as many in fact and they all have clones and the timeline is starting to unravel and I slip from reality and whoops there goes gravity and mom's spaghetti and I lose myself in the music, the moment, I (don't) own it, and would the real Slim Shady please...

Ahem.

**The short of it**; I'm gonna mix it up, instead of forcing the one style into the other. Will be less ambiguous, but it's important to understand that these events are mostly seperate events.

See you on the flip!


	4. All In Your Head

Second article/What's On Your Mind?

Alrighty. Script-form, go!

* * *

(Morning at Beacon Academy. Breakfast is served, and the two #1 teams are eating breakfast, sans Jaune. He enters with a bowl of cereal, yawns, waves at his friends and takes a seat.)

Jaune: Morning, all.

Phyrrha: Good morning, Jaune.

Yang: Morning, J-Man.

Blake: Morning.

Nora: Morning, Boss Sleepy-Head.

Ren: Hey.

Ruby: Hiya, Jaune, finish that Strat-Report?

Jaune: Yeah, but I still can't spell 'Gore-illa'.

Ruby: Did you, uh, figure out how Costellos' small regiment held off the Vespians and the Toroshida Clan? Just wondering, you know.

Jaune: Yeah, there's this kinda poetic passage in Brony The Elders' Anthology of History that recounts pretty much all of it. It's got how he was fighting down from high grounds with some of the most experienced troops of the war, he was intelligently using fire on the lower plains to keep the Vespians away until they could be handled, and the Toroshida were demoralised by talk, spread by Allied spies, of an enormous Grimm in the area the night before, accompanied by growls and howls blown through horns around the camp. Costellos' men were also safe the few days before, as they were surrounded by the other armies, who had to fend off the Grimm that the Regiment were intentionally calling and leading into their camps.

Ruby: So, where did you find this Brony guy...?

Jaune: The book is on my nightstand. Here's my key; give it back to me in third period.

Ruby: Sure thing, Blondie! (Exit RUBY)

Jaune: Have fun, Red! And page One-Thirty-Four is important! Or was it One-Fifty Four...

(Sitting next to Jaune and Weiss, Pyrrha fields a question to Blake, quietly, while eying her breakfast)  
Pyrrha: Was that you in the library last night, Blake?

Blake: Maybe, I guess. What section was it?

Pyrrha: Adult novels, I think.

Blake: Oh. Yes, I was just looking for something to pass the time on the Airship tomorrow. I was thinking something along the lines of a Ulysses adventure. Or maybe a drama from Madame Dalloway.

Pyrrha: Or... Shinobi Temptations?

Blake: W-w-what are you talking about?!

Pyrrha: Oh, just a volume that was left on the floor. It probably just... fell off the shelf.

Blake: Y-yeah. Probably.

Pyrrha: That is a _nice _strip of bacon, there. Beautifully cooked, red, and even the smell-

Blake: It's yours.

Pyrrha: Oh, why, thank you! You are truly a charitable companion, Blake.

(To their side, at the end of the table, are Nora, Ren and Yang, with an empty space for Ruby. They are chatting conspiratorially.)  
Yang: -fessor Oobleck has been acting strange lately?

Nora: He was muttering something about time being circular when we walked in the other day. Kinda spaced out.

Yang: Did you see Ruby wake him up before class?

Ren: He can sleep on that much coffee?

Yang: He just stands straight up, all of a sudden, and shouts "You are a homosexual automaton!", and then starts preparing for class, like nothing happened!

Ren: What do 'gay robots' have to do with anything?

Yang: No idea, although he does kind of seem the type of guy to be into Androids, am-I-right, Nora?

Nora: (Pleasantly Awestruck Face Staring Off Into Space)

Yang: She's gone, isn't she?

Ren: Right after the gay robot thing.

Yang: Do you ever wonder what she's thinking about?

Ren: I'm sure it's better left to speculation.

(At the head of the table. JAUNE is eating his Fruity Shoogah Donuts. WEISS is reading a newspaper, The Vytal Truth. Jaune sees the paper)

Jaune: What's the headline today, Snow Ang-

Weiss: Stop that.

Jaune: I don't control the Names of Nick; the people do.

Weiss: Not that. But also that. Definitely also that.

Jaune: Then what's up?

Weiss: Jaune, the first time, it was cute, in a 'Boy in daddies' glasses' kind of way. But tell me, are you really that interested in the current affairs of our geo-political world?

Jaune: Well, kinda...

Weiss: 'Kinda'? Is that your flimsy way of saying no?

Jaune: No, it's just, it didn't really start as my thing.

Weiss: ...(She thinks: _Damn, that was a segue, wasn't it? Can't I just drink my coffee and read my paper?_)Why, whatever do you mean?

Jaune: Well, I knew this girl, back home, kinda reminds me of Blake, really, really quiet, had this thing for books, never stopped reading, and I mean never, always had a nose in something or other, A Tale of Two This, Much Ado About That, you know, classics and the like, didn't really concern herself with others, mostly just made sure her dad didn't lose a hand with his crazy inventions, found new and inventive ways to stay away from our towns Testosterone-Overdosing Hunter, Galius, and-

Weiss: Weiss bored now. Does this story have a point?

Jaune: Made a friend, I brought her shortbread biscuits, she would read some of the good stuff in the paper to me.

Weiss: ...And?

Jaune: And I kinda missed it a bit.

Weiss: That's all?

Jaune: Yeah...? What, you were expecting something tragic? (Dramatically) "I was a paperboy once, but my Newsagency burnt down one night, and I never found the culprit, so I swore upon my bicycle, to never let a news story go unread!"

Weiss: 'Upon your bicycle?'

Jaune: And my old-timey hat.

Weiss: How about I read to you one article a day-

Jaune: Two on weekends.

Weiss: Only if you agree to never, ever tell me a story again.

Jaune: (Fingers crossed) Deal!

Weiss: And you have to wait for me to finish the finance section. And I can't function in the mornings until coffee and/or very strong tea has come to pass. And there will be no opinion pieces. They tend to get under my skin.

Jaune: I get that. Journalists should be reporting on the facts, not drawing conclusions of their own.

Weiss: Is it just me, or does anyone who writes one of these offenses to Journalistic Reporting also lack a basic understanding of Syllogistic Logic and the A.R.G. argumentative format? And does no-one in the world get what a Strawman is?

Jaune: I'll get you coffee in the mornings if you agree to stop using jargon that I don't understand.

Weiss: *Fingers Crossed* Deal.

Jaune: And anyway, there was this piece a while back speculating on how long it'll be until we get telepathy; it was pretty cool, in the way they thought it would come about, but honest enough to admit they had a century-long margin of error.

Weiss: Really, telepathy?

Jaune: Seriously! With the advances in the way we understand the way the mind works, and some other advances in robot tech-y-stuff-

Weiss: Robotics.

Jaune: Sure, if we can understand the thought-matrix-thing, we can simulate changes in brain patterns, and even use certain brain patterns as signals and triggers and stuff. Eventually, we get to use normal minds as radios, and we just tune in to read the-

Weiss: Which will be pointless in the long run.

Jaune: What?

Weiss: Anything that we can read from a mind is normally written on someones face. Sure, we can tune in, but isn't it just easier to study someone for a second, and put their body language into a context that makes sense?

Jaune: I didn't figure you would be the type to look for body language. Or to take notice of others. At all, really.

Weiss: I had a few lessons in Tricks in Human Psychology and Facial Ticks when I was younger. It helps in negotiations, so I'm told.

Jaune: Didn't figure you for the diplomatic type either.

Weiss: Don't be so quick to judge my upbringing. It wasn't all ponies and lavish presents.

Jaune: The ponies name was...

Weiss: Edelweiss. Oh, shut it. In any case, I did a lot of People Watching when I was younger, and figured some of it out for myself. Aside from all this, if you walk up to someone and tell them 'I'm psychic', their thoughts go to one of two places.

Jaune: 'This girl is crazy'. Aaaaaaand...

(Short pause, and Weiss raises an eyebrow. Jaune blushes.)

Weiss: There we go. It's the power of suggestion. Sorry, are we have some difficulty changing the train of thought?

Jaune: (Cough) So, uh, how are, you know, the thing with airplane food, all the naked- _Ren help me._ (Jaune leans forward around Pyrrha, aiming his request at Ren, who was not engaged in the conversation between Yang, Blake and Pyrrha about proper combat attire)

Ren:Hey Weiss.

Weiss: Yes?

Ren: What is Jaune thinking about?

Weiss: At an educated guess, I'd say he's thinking of- (_me, _she finishes mentally, and blushes profusely) Damn it.

Jaune: I'm not sure that makes things better, Ren.

Ren: It's even, at least.

Weiss: It is easy to slip into, isn't it?

Jaune: Power of suggestion, and all that jazz. Bet it must be hard to stop.

Weiss: This is all your fault.

Yang: (Notices the conversation, leaves Pyrrha and Blake to continue) What's that, Jaune?

Jaune: We were just- (_Thinking of each other naked. _Beat) Yang, did you know that Ren is psychic?

Yang: (Not up on sci-fi terminology) Which one's that? Can breathe underwater? Walk through walls? Sneeze with his eyes open?

Jaune: Can read minds.

Yang: (Thinks for a second, eyes go wide, blushes) Oh, that's... great.

Weiss: I expected more from you, Yang.

Yang: Don't look at me that way, Princess! I'm not the only one who would- Pyrrha!

Pyrrha: (Conversation between her and Blake ends) Yes?

Yang: Jaunes' latent physics abilities have activated!

Pyrrha: Ok? That is good? What are-

Blake: Yang, do you mean 'Physical', or 'Psychic'?

Yang: That's the one, Blake, psychic.

Blake: (Blush) You are kidding, right?

Jaune: Wow, you are red, aren't ya, Blake?

Blake: Sh-shut up.

Pyrrha: I still don't understand. So, Jaune can read minds now?

Weiss: It's more a hypothetical, really. If Jaune could read minds, what would he see?

Pyrrha: Well, Weiss, I expect (Blushes, attempts to continue) that which we are thinking. Be they... words or images. What does a thought appear-

Yang: Impressive control you have there, but nope, no pass.

Pyrrha: D-damn.

Blake: How about Nora?

(They all look at Nora, who is watching butterflies in the rafters.)

Ren: ...She's still spaced out.

Nora: (Blinks, mouth closes, blinks) What? I heard my name. What?

Pyrrha: Ren... is psychic.

Nora: (Shrugs) Oh, I knew that. When did you guys figure it out?

Jaune: Wait, what?

Nora: He's almost always predicting my thoughts. We've been together that long. 3

Blake: No, you see, we mean, actually psychic.

(Beat)

Blake: He can read minds.

(Pause)

Blake: Your thoughts.

Nora: (Short break) And?

Yang: That doesn't make you think anything... lewd?

Nora: I don't understand.

Weiss: *Sigh* You see, what is the one thing you don't want Ren to know?

Nora: (Ashamed frown) I keep a shrine to my dead cat.

Weiss: ...No, what about... thoughts of a... (Darker blush)... sexual nature? You aren't thinking about anyone at this table... (**Has turned red, almost crying, whispers)**...doing naked things?

Nora: ...So what you are saying, is...

Yang: Yes?

Nora: That when I'm told that someone can see what I'm thinking...

Blake: Yes...

Nora: I'm suppose to start thinking about them having sex?

Weiss: Yes!

(Long Beat, look of concentration on Nora's face as they all wait for a reaction)

..._Well?_

Nora: (Eyes Ren) Does that mean I have to stop first?

*Deep Ren Blush*

Aha, I get it now! Nice one! Pass the syrup?

(Yang wordlessly passes it over. Whole table is silent, not counting Noras' slurping/munching. Ruby returns.)

Ruby: I'm back! So, everyone, what'd I miss?

Ren: Nothing. Not a thing.

Yang: Oh, god, I just started thinking about my sister-

Weiss: Stop! Oh, damn it, Yang-

Jaune: Arg-

Blake: Why-

Nora: Nora!

Pyrrha: Everybody stop! Nobody think of Ruby- arg-

(Long pause. Pyrrha is fidgeting with her thumbs, Yang and Jaune are covering their faces with their hands, Ren has his head on the table, Blake is running her fingers through her hair with her eyes closed, Weiss is hiding behind her newspaper, and Nora is roleplaying with her spoons. All, sans Nora, are decidedly ignoring Ruby, who is standing behind her seat, feeling left-out)

Ruby: Uh, is this some kind of game you guys are playing? Well, that's just rude! An entire game dedicated to not thinking about someone, you guys suck!

_(DistractionDistractionDistra-Don't think 'suck', Blake)_

Ruby: You know, I thought we, as teams, were just starting to come together, but I find out that you are all doing things behind my back! I like to be thought of too, you know...

_Yang: (come together)  
Ren: (doing things behind)_

_Weiss: (like to be thought of)_

Ruby: Just going to ignore me, is that it? Fine! I'm going!

(Enraged, she starts to storm off, when Yang stands up and stops her)

Yang: Sis, wait, um, we have to... (Yang pauses, uncertain what to say)

Ruby: What?!

(Yang whispers in Ruby's ear. Her eyes go wide, and she blushes)

I have to go. (Ruby exits rapidly)

Blake: I think we just robbed your sister of her innocence.

Jaune: _Damn it Blake word that better_.

Yang: _Enough! We are stopping this, right now! Ok?! No more! Think normal thoughts!_

(Yang stands there, huffing, and her mind is clear. Everyone concentrates on their breakfast dishes. Weiss takes a deep breath, and looks up. The rest of the table catch the movement in their peripheral vision and look up at everyone else, making eye contact. The effect is immediate. Six blushes break out.)

Yang/Weiss: Damn it.

* * *

(A/N: This... started so normally. Like, just a little Freudian Excuse for Jaune to have the paper read to him. An hour later, this was written all over my desktop, and I had to get a mop. _Damn it, I'm such a messy writer._

Jeezus H Christ, guys, did you see the tech demo Monty gave at that place that time? Showing off how he has added collision stuff, and gravity, most notably, to the character models? Of course, he chose Yang, and, well... to put it crudely, *Boinga*

_Daaaaamn_. I went so long without seeing these characters as sexual objects. {Not true; damn you, smutty fics}

Also, I have nothing against opinions in newspapers/magazines and the like, as long as they are clearly labeled and honest about the use of speculation and biases.

And be sure to check out the earlier edited chapters. Shout-out to me. Probably the only shout out, as it feels weird to give Shout-outs without asking, or something, and I'm too socially awkward, even virtually, to ask. If you leave a review, leave a little 'blip' of some kind, so I know it's cool.)


End file.
